Night Dreams
by Nyx Aislinn
Summary: Uses not many of the orginal HP characters. Nyx thinks she's a normal girl-but she's not in more ways than one. R&R please! CHAP 7 is up!
1. Promise

Dear Reader,  
  
I, as the author of this story promise not to run on as a babbling idiot, trying to be too descriptive, thinking its really cool, when its actually quite nerve racking. I am not, under any circumstances in this story, allowed to make a cheese pizza turn into a pepperoni, or make one family or person, have an excessive amount of cars. I am to make the characters as simple as possible, but not so predictable that you can see the next moment on their semi-non-existent faces a second before it happens.   
  
Though J.K. Rowling is the master, I am only to use her characters, and places, and letters, ECT., when events come up, for example Hogsmeade. Again J.K. Rowling is a true role model and being that, I am only writing this for my own, bored sake, not contributing or altering the masterpiece.  
  
  
  
Thank you,  
  
Nyx Aislinn 


	2. Nyx, Riley, and Lelani

Ok, so Nyx Asilinn wasn't the most beautiful 11 year-old in the world… But what she lacked in beauty she made up for in Honesty, intellect, and valor. She turned heads wherever she went, from the beach-house in C.A. to her plain public school in N.Y.C., well let's not say plain, because it was a performing arts school-and it wasn't public-for the tuition you had to pay.   
  
Riley Hardwin wasn't all that different, living in N.Y. with some of her best surf buds, for the winter and moving back to the summer house in C.A. in the summer. She wasn't at all wild as Nyx, but sure as hell was funny, her wit coming somewhere from her sense of reaction.  
  
Lelani Kinneret was a Pier 1 import, straight from P.I. (Philippines) and learning what some of the more complicated words meant, such as agrology. But she was still having a laugh or two yelling out parses such as "COCKROACH!" which had no relation to whatever subject occurred at the time.   
  
This mass of "Women Rights" appeared to be moving together at the same time, even across country-it was in fact, The parents of these 3 were almost always away on business, giving them time to develop themselves freely, and equally in all qualities.   
  
At this moment the sun was about to "graze its rays" on the beach in Malibu, setting a thick golden light on a little cottage-it wasn't very big-quite small in fact- but it was roomy enough. Its interior was done with refinished furniture-lots of cream and white colors and blue splashed in the middle. Crack. The sound of cracking bones and stretching reached Nyx's ears, still suffering from mere Jet-Lag from the day before. She opened her eyes. Then shut them. She had just opened them in the bright light flooding into the room. As her grey eyes adjusted to the extremity, her eyes pulled the "curtain" illusion, causing her to see perfectly again.  
  
She opened them to the room she was in, the shared room. It had 3 white trundle beds, all covered in white lace, and matching white cotton pillows. There was a window seat, piled heavily with bikinis, swim suits, board shorts, and rash guards-guess what they all had in common-no, try it-guess-they were surfers. Nyx finally got up, listening to the surf crash on the secluded beach. Only one other person lived there besides the "women rights enforcers", Dean, the closest thing to a big brother-friend they had. Of course, Dean wasn't the surfer type, he body-boarded, but not occasionally, or in front of them. Back to the story *author averts gaze-blushing*. She tip-toed down the hard wooden floors, making a slight creak every now and then. Opening the back door slightly, she squeezed through, into the backyard-beach. She took in a deep breath of sea breeze, and walked to the garage, which didn't hold an excessive amount of cars, but a treasure trove of surf boards, short, long, swallow, fox, and body. Grabbing a short-board and a screw-driver, sat down and screwed in another 2 tails. Finishing up, and dusting off some irritating grains of sands from her pink shorts and black triangle, she headed out with her black board that depicted a blue-black hole in the middle of the universe. As she headed out, she saw a tanned figure with unruly black hair, striped blue, lying in the sand.   
  
"Riles?" asked Nyx. The black bikini clad figure rose up, and look with her amethyst eyes at her silver and blue, crescent moon short-board which was now in pieces. "Damn Riley were you here all night?"  
  
"Crap" She said looking at her dinged up board. "I guess so…I got worked so bad-I swear it was triple overhead last night"   
  
Nyx laughed at this logic, in fact last night it was barely knee.   
  
"You do realize it was dark last night, right?" She answered.  
  
"Yeah… But it felt so intense" said Riley-half laughing at how she had expressed the word. "Oh wow look-it must be at least overhead." she pointed to the ocean.   
  
Nyx turned her head; it was, in Riley's words-intense. There was so much white wash it could've been a huge bath tub with bubbles.   
  
"I'm going back out there" continued Riley, running towards the garage.   
  
"Hey!" a voice sounded off in the distance, causing Nyx to turn her head yet again. It was Dean.  
  
"Oh hey there sexy!" yelled Nyx. They always joked about Dean and his "sexiness" because he always blushed when they said that.   
  
It wasn't everyday that Dean walked along the beach, catching the "women rights enforcers" in their bikinis. Nyx tried to look confident. Of course, it was hard to be confident in front of a brown haired, honey-eyed, funny, talented, masculine *attention draws itself back in the author's mind*- boy. About being talented, Dean played the drums quite well, playing with his twin, Torrance, who was on the guitar. They only knew a couple of songs, but they were remarkable. Nyx had more in common with Torrance, which made it very hard to talk to Dean, because he was more of a yo-yo -or in other words, you couldn't tell whether he was serious at times or not, Torrance-on the other hand- was always joking. Dean and Nyx didn't have much to talk about.   
  
Dean scanned up and down her body-and joked "Where's the rest of your clothes?"   
  
"Oh-I needed a birthday suit-you know that guy on Jackass was beating me on the flesh-baring-scale" She came back coolly.  
  
He smiled slightly, baring his teeth.   
  
"I better get back out there, Lelani is tearing it up more then me" She said smiling back, and then running into the ocean, that went surprisingly well, not with the right person but well.  
  
*later*   
  
"Pipeline masters is canceled" Lelani announced, hanging up the phone.  
  
"Wonderful" answered Riley sarcastically. "Well that a shopping opportunity-Hey Nyx- wanna go to go into the city with me-I need some books-really bored"   
  
no answer.  
  
"NYX!" she yelled.  
  
"ah" Nyx sighed as cool, fresh water ran down her long black hair, her tanned mid-riff, then to her French manicured toes, rinsing off the sand. The sun set as she wrapped a warm towel over her body, and walked back inside. 


	3. Skye and Audrey

"What souvenir do you thing we should get them?" Audrey asked, looking through shelves of antiques.   
  
Audrey was a bit tall, for a pinay. She was also a "women rights enforcer" but the thing was, with her Long raven-black hair, and her black eyes which were outlined blue, she wasn't in C.A., she was in London, getting some ingredients, for…  
  
"Well I was thinking we could get them individual gifts" Skye answered, brushing some of her auburn hair out of the way of her navy blue eyes. "But then again we don't have that much money" she was referring to the shopping spree they had earlier that week.   
  
Unexpectedly, they were in London to pick up some Lulling Lilies, which were very rare, but Skye's father used them for his secret ingredient in his car wax, which kept it shining for months at a time.   
  
"Ooh this is the perfect gift for all of them" squealed Skye.   
  
* Later on the flight back home *  
  
"Hi… is this seat taken?" asked Audrey.  
  
"Veto" Replied the dirty blonde haired boy, who looked extremely bad-to-the-bone. "My name is Orion, but please-Ryan."   
  
"Thanks its packed" Skye said squeezing past him, getting a nice feel on his biceps, on accident.   
  
"That's fine" Ryan said quickly, raising a dark eyebrow back to the book he was reading, his face serious, and his thin lips pursed.  
  
Ring- "Oh hello?" Audrey said into her cell phone. "oh yeah were almost there now. Gotta go they don't allow cell phones in-use on the plane. Say Hi to sexy for me"   
  
Ryan raised an eyebrow. Quickly changing the subject, Skye interrupted "Whatcha reading?" as she bent over to see.   
  
He turned the book over and read the title "City Of Bones"   
  
"Cool" Skye said as she leaned back into the seat. It was going to be a long flight home.  
  
  
  
She pulled out her laptop and logged on. It was a brand new model, straight from the factory. Typing very fast she read some stories, and replied to email all at once. Audrey turned her head and whispered "D'you mind if I switch seats with you?"   
  
He reluctantly got up and squeezed past her and continued reading.   
  
Abruptly, almost giving her a heart-attack, Skye got an instant message.   
  
It read:  
  
"Hey you!"  
  
Skye typed promptly back saying:  
  
"hey-I should really turn down the volume"  
  
"ha-ha"  
  
"We're almost there anyway"  
  
"ok cool, whadya get me?"  
  
"Why would I tell you? It's a surprise, but you can guess."  
  
"A handbag-"  
  
"Nope-ooh I gotta go"  
  
With that Skye logged off, and swiftly grabbed her camera and frantically began shooting stuff outside the window. The orange sun sinking into a navy ocean-pure without any clouds. "That's a good $25 bucks" She mumbled, as she capped her shutters. 


	4. Found

Chapter 4   
  
Note from the author: this is going to be the shortest chapter in this whole story.  
  
___________________________________________________________________________  
  
Knock-knock echoed the oak door.  
  
Nyx ran in her semi-wet, long, black hair to the door, spraying bit of Salt water everywhere as she went. She glanced through the eye-hole and screamed. With that she flung open the door, and screamed once more.   
  
"I missed you guys so much!" Nyx yelled as she tried to hug both Skye and Audrey at the same time, with her short arms, which could barely touch her legs.   
  
"Here" Skye said as she gave her a tiny package, wrapped in the comic page.   
  
Nyx ripped open the paper and was awe-struck. "Oh My God-how did you get this?"   
  
She held up some limited edition cotton candy sex wax. "It's so beautiful" she said, being a drama queen.   
  
"You're such a dork" Skye teased.   
  
"I better get Dean and Torrance" suggested Nyx "Riley and Lelani are in the kitchen" and with that she ran off barefooted in her blotched wet jeans and white tank top.  
  
She ran across the beach to the Boy's house and knocked on the wood next to the sliding-screen door.   
  
"Yes?" sounded the voice of an Armenian woman.  
  
"Umm-is Torrance and Dean here?" she asked.  
  
"Wait one minute" the woman said, turning away.   
  
A second later she re-appeared, opening the screen door and letting the sweaty boys out. Ms. Faradouk bent over and whispered something into Dean's ear. Dean nodded and walked off.   
  
"Damn you guys-the day Skye and Audrey come back and you choose to be like this" Nyx said holding her nose.  
  
"Like what? Constipated?" Torrance joked. Nyx laughed and immediately took out a perfume sample and emptied it over their heads. Luckily, Nyx wasn't the type of girl to wear girly perfume-it was a bottle of peppermint. "Great, I think the alpine mountains deserved a spring"   
  
Nyx laughed again. He was talking about some Dandruff that had just trickled down on the peppermint, down his face. They were sweating because they had just finished up their band practice, which went quite well, because Nyx could hear them all the way across the beach.   
  
As they neared the house the boys wiped off the "dribbles" of peppermint, unfortunately, they smelled as if they had put on too much cologne.   
  
"Hey" Skye said as she hugged Dean, then backing off, obviously because of the strong tang.   
  
"Woo, you guys-"she commented, wafting her hand madly, as she laughed.   
  
Riley picked up the phone and began to talk to the pizza-man. They rarely had pizza; usually it was a choice of foods delivered to the house by the internet, from wherever their parents were.   
  
knock-knock-knock.  
  
The oak door quickly thumped through. They all looked dubiously at the door, wondering who it could be. Nyx walked to the door and answered it to a boy with dirty blonde hair, with cold blue eyes, and a solemn face. Nyx was even more perplexed.   
  
"Hi-umm who are you looking for?" She said finally coming to her senses.   
  
He looked into his hands, down at the camera he was holding. "Skye Wycliffe?" he read off of the label.   
  
"Yes?" she perked from behind Nyx. "Ohmigod! My camera!" She screamed, snatching it, and quickly checking for dents. "Thank You"   
  
"I better be going" He said   
  
"Thanks for the camera" Nyx yelled after him.  
  
He turned around, and smirked, his fierce eyebrows raised from their normal straight position. 


	5. A tough decision

Chap 5 

Note from the author: Ok, this chapter may seem a bit more light-hearted than the others but that way you can see the optimism and friendship that these girls have, laughing and not making sense. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Uh" Nyx moaned as she got up. She tip-toed into the living room, astonished to see, everything as it was, no broken furniture, of course impossible to accomplish with only seven, 11 year-olds. She walked outside, smelling the salty breeze. Suddenly, and owl screeched and nearly beheaded her, luckily Nyx had cat-like reflexes, and ducked in the nick of time. The eagle dropped 5 pieces of paper to the sand. Nyx stood up, and shouted at the owl. After about 15 minutes of brawl, she jogged over to where the eagle had dropped the papers. It read:

Nyx Aislinn

Riley Hardwin 

Skye Wycliff

Lelani Kinneret

Audrey Lea 

2839 Malibu Canyon Road

Malibu, USA

The envelopes were made of parchment, thick and heavy, with fancy green lettering on the cover. Nyx turned over the envelopes to a seal in red wax with a giant "H" engraved on them. 

"Anthrax" she whispered to herself. She dropped the letters and ran into the ocean, to wash herself. After an hour or two she realized she wasn't going to die of Anthrax contamination, and swam back in, but the letters weren't there anymore. "What the----" Searching the missing envelopes, curiosity growing. 

"Glass phials?" Riley questioned, talking rather loudly from inside. Nyx ran in. "What are these?" She said holding up the letter parchment. 

"Uh letters" She answered promptly. 

"We're witches?" subjected Skye. 

"We're witches, we're witches, we're witches, we're really cool surfing witches!" Chanted Nyx, Riley, and Lelani, joined hands, dancing around in a circle. 

Skye and Audrey chuckled. 

"Oh" Riley sighed, looking down at her letter.

"What? What?" said Nyx abruptly. 

"This is a school which means that we have to quit the school in NYC, and we won't be able to Dean and Torrance that much" She continued. 

"Well we'll just say that we're traveling abroad for years at a time, and they'll send the courses over right?" Skye broke in. 

"To a wizarding school?" said Audrey, using that mountain of logic stowed somewhere in that enormous brain of hers.

"Good point" Skye said shrugging.

"We won't see Dean and Torrance anymore! What about that!" Nyx practically yelled, almost wishing that she wasn't a "really cool surfing witch", maybe just not the part about being really cool and surfing. Because it was Torrance that made her day, joking about something, and Dean, who wasn't as funny, but was good for being someone who could really listen. Plus, she couldn't ilive/i without their deafening-loud music.  

"Right" Riley groaned, suddenly feeling what Nyx was. Realizing that they could only probably only see them during holidays, and the summer, which obviously wasn't enough. 

A sudden color change in Skye's pale face indicated that the change was filtering through her system too. Whatever the plan was-it was going to be an ersatz one, nothing could let them be 2 places at once, 3 places even. 

"There's nothing we can do about this" Lelani spoke. "Either we reside here and imagine we incorporate with this sociality or we surpass the expectations and go to this school in-" she glanced at the letter. "Scotland" 

Everyone was awed at how much Lelani had learned during her 1 year stay in New York, their mouths were virtually on the floors. But they knew she was right. 

"First things first we need to leave the performing arts academy" Skye assumed.

"No we don't" Riley whispered-odd-winking her eyes and grinding her brain. "There's-a summer program" 

"What do you mean a 'summer program'?" Audrey asked. 

"We could take the summer course and still be in Hog-" she glimpsed at her letter "Hogwarts" 

"That's a lot of work-even for me" Nyx believed. 

"Well I love my school and I am not quitting" said Riley, which stood as strong as that sea-cliff a mile away. 

"I guess" Skye moaned at the thought of more homework. "We could stay in both schools" 

"Ok" both Audrey and Lelani said. 

"How do we get our enchantment supplies?" Nyx wondered.

BANG

A royal blue envelope appeared and fluttered to the center of the room. Nyx bent down to pick it up. In fancy silver lettering it read "Vera square". 

"What is it?" Riley asked

Nyx didn't answer. She opened the envelope, and pulled out a creamy parchment. It read:

Vera Square

Looking for some Hogwarts supplies but too far from Diagon Alley all the way out in London?  Then come to Vera Square! Just draw a door and yell "Vera Square!" Floo powder travelers welcomed. With this advertisement get a free cup of tea at Cherri Cordial. We hope to see you soon at Vera Square, and wish to be the center of your business from now on. 

All due respect, 

Bo Deplores

Marketing supervisor

"I guess we're going to Vera Square" Nyx said, puzzled, handing the letter to Skye. 

Riley, who had been peeking over Nyx's shoulder the entire time, was already looking for some chalk. 

"We don't have any chalk" Skye said, not even averting her gaze from the letter.

"Use a pencil" Audrey suggested. 

Riley grabbed a pencil from the kitchen drawer and lightly traced a door onto the hallway wall. 

"I think we should change" Lelani said, running to the room to change. 

"Good idea" Riley whispered, looking suspiciously at the floor, and she ran to change as well.  

*a couple minutes later*

After they were all changed, Audrey proudly said "Vera Square". In the blink of an eye, the door materialized, to look just like a door of the house, whitewashed with a white door knob. Audrey grabbed the door knob to reveal…


	6. Vera Square

Chapter 6- Vera Square  
  
Note from author: every (*) indicates a time duration.   
  
A room with hundreds of doors, every size and color. Every inch of the room was filled with doors. They entered the large, cramped room, filled with a prism of moving colors, which were people dressed in robes, making their way to a tiny exit.   
  
*  
  
"Woo! I thought we'd never get outta there" Nyx said, shielding her eyes from the midday sun.   
  
Vera Square was a quaint little square. It had a theater, a sweet shop, a quidditch and robe outfitter, a writing supply store, a book warehouse, and many more little places. It had miniature double-decker buses driving around the grey streets, which was sunk underneath the red cobblestones. It had a circular park in the center of the square, bulked with apple trees, which had twinkling lights interlaced in them.   
  
"Ooooh!" They all whispered.   
  
"Ok we need-" Nyx started, looking down at the list. "MOM?!?" She bellowed.   
  
"Nyx!" Ms. Aislinn said. "You got your letters?"   
  
"Mom-you knew! And you never told me!" Nyx shrieked, attracting the attention of passer-bys.   
  
Ms. Aislinn glanced around. "You are so disreputable-you should be ashamed of yourself- you're almost a grown woman-now start acting like one" she whispered "You better get the school provisions and here are coins for the expenses." Nyx felt very ashamed at what her mother had just said, she got top marks in school, and was extremely obedient. She practically flung over a tin case with Betty Boop on the front, and with a loud POP she was gone.  
  
Nyx curiously opened the tin case-bag. It was full of golden coins. She picked one up. Reading the miniscule writing on them-it translated into GALLEON, and some sort of weird encryption that looked a bit elfish (LOtR). Nyx bit it, and it bent slightly.   
  
"This is gold" Nyx whispered. She rubbed the coin on her shirt and planted it back into the tin.   
  
"I ain't touching that now-nope" joked Riley.   
  
Nyx laughed, tears welling up in her eyes-about what her mom had said.   
  
"Oh, don't cry" Audrey said hugging her. Audrey had been like a big sister to her, comforting her and helping her out whenever she needed it, which was infrequent.   
  
"Yeah-we're here in a wizardry shopping court with a tin full of gold-how lucky is that?" Skye reassured.  
  
Nyx sniffed, and tried to suck it up, her throat getting uncomfortable.   
  
"Please don't cry-your nose gets all puffy and red-like Rudolph's" Lelani said, making her laugh.   
  
With a whimper Nyx tried to stop. Riley whipped out a tissue and wiped Nyx's face. She finally stopped.   
  
*  
  
"Ok, The Standard Book of Spells-book-book of spells" Nyx muttered looking through the shelves. Each of the girls had been assigned a book, the surfers had extra ones, on account of being "superhuman", and the fact that Skye and Audrey had no upper-body strength had nothing to do with it. Nyx found the black leather-bound book, written in gold letters. She picked up 5 copies of the 300 page books, and shoved them into one of her arms.   
  
Nyx shifted her eyes. She realized she was alone in this neck of the store. No people around, she felt uneasy. With a creak coming from a corner-she was more alert. Her heart began to beat twice as fast. A figure moved in the corner of her eye. She kept telling herself that her mind was just playing tricks on her-and get back to finding Magical Drafts and Potions. But her feeling was just too strong to ignore. She looked around again, nothing was watching her. She turned her head back to the shelf. Only to notice a pair of cold blue eyes looking straight back at her. A cold knife of fear stabbed her heart, and a cold shiver ran up her spine. She back up and in the process tripped and fell, the books smacking the floor. She dug her heels into the floor and attempted to back up even further, but she didn't have anymore room, the "T" aisle was cutting into her back. A warm laugh erupted from the blue eyes. The books from the shelf surrounding the eyes moved. Nyx's mind was throbbing, was she going to die? Was she going to be arrested? Did she miss some sign that said "Beware of rats" on her way to this section? The eyes had hair, surprisingly and a mouth. Nyx was puzzled, but then it all came together, it was the boy who had dropped off Skye's camera.   
  
"Urgh!" Nyx gritted through her teeth, as she got up. The boy was still laughing. "That isn't funny". If it was one of her friends she would've laughed along, but unfortunately, she didn't know this boy well enough.   
  
"I'm sorry-but it was hilarious" he said coming around.   
  
"Leave me alone-uh-what's your name?" Nyx said irritably, then calming down.  
  
"Orion-er-Ryan" He replied, helping her pick up the scattered books.   
  
"So which one is it?" she asked again. Picking up the last copy and standing up.  
  
"…Name is Orion and nickname is Ryan" he responded.   
  
"Okay, cool" Nyx said under her breath. "Where are your books?"   
  
"I don't have any yet" He said confidently. "Oh I was looking for something in that shelf and I saw you"   
  
"Interesting" she mumbled, as they walked down the "M" way. "Hogwarts right?". [Stupid Nyx, why else would he be here? Duh. There I go speaking before I think-guess it's the way I am programmed-she thought] luckily he didn't answer. Nyx grabbed 5 copies of Magical Drafts and Potions, and slid it into her other arm. She looked like a walking gorilla.   
  
"Here let me help you" he proposed, holding back some light laughter. He took the books and they walked to the cashier.  
  
"Thanks" Nyx said paying for the books. "I have to meet my friends at the theater in a couple minutes-they got done faster than me" she said as the clerk put the books into a cotton bag that took objects twice its size and made them weightless.  
  
*   
  
[Black eagle quills or extra large blue hummingbird?] She held the black quills in one hand and the hummingbird in the other, weighing them in her mind. Finishing up her decision, she picked up a brown parcel of parchment. In the end she decided on the black eagle, and cerulean ink, as she waited in line she felt a tad sleepy, this being the last store of the day. She managed to open up her eyes and empty out the last of the coins from the tin, the clerk bagged the items and she walked out, bag-clad, feeling as if she was wearing the thickest bracelet on her wrists. Nyx moaned, and walked out to the twinkling lights, and the fresh air. Lazily, walking on the red cobblestone, she strolled to the door room and opened her, everyone was already home. Nyx was last because she had taken too many "pit-stops". She dawdled into the hall, the penciled door erasing itself. 


	7. Back in NYC

SLAM   
  
Nyx smashed her most of her wardrobe in a petite suitcase, she buckled the latch and lifted it off of the bed, into the hallway, partially full with things like kittens, owls, spare parchment and notebooks, cases and carts. A tiny black kitten with a white under-belly rubbed against Nyx's leg.   
  
"Aww" Nyx cooed, bending down and picking up the clawless, green-eyed thing. Nyx unzipped her black sports jacket, put in the kitten, and zipped it half-way. "Poor, Toby" sounding very motherish-like. Something was special about this kitten named Toby; it was doomed to be a kitten forever. Some idiot wizard spilled a several pint fulls of "Witch Holly Ever-Lasting Anti Aging Potion" on this creature. Being irresponsible, the moron dropped it on the street and left it to fend for himself. "Toby" (as Nyx now called him) somehow found a way to Vera Square, case closed, Nyx fell in love with the kitten.   
  
They were going to NYC today, specific instructions from "Magonagall", to go to Grand Central Station and board at platform 7 7/3. Besides, they needed to get some things from the penthouse.   
  
It was pretty early as they left, getting into a half-full grey-hound. Nyx locked the front door, and shoved her case into the over-head and sat down next to Skye with Toby in her lap. Skye didn't have her owl with her; "Magonagall" requested that all owl of this residence were to be flown to Hogwarts. Skye let her owl out this morning, hoping to find her again once they reached the school. Nyx took off her Newsboy cap and dumped Toby into it, since it was pretty uncomfortable sitting down with Toby in her lap.   
  
"Did you study any course material?" Nyx asked, being a smart aleck.   
  
"I only got through the first 7 chapters of Transfiguration and the other half of Self Protection" Skye replied. "I hope the teacher is as interesting as Ms. Templeton" Ms. Templeton was the best teacher at Norton William Performing Arts Academy; she made the classes alive with enthusiasm and charisma. Part of this reason was because she once was a Broadway Director, a Renaissance Volunteer, and an excellent vocalist.   
  
"Ugh, I finished Standard Spells and half of Magical Theory-I was too tired to finish the rest" Nyx said, almost in a whisper. Toby switched over sides as she stroked him.   
  
Nyx looked over at Audrey, Riley, and Lelani. It looked like they were having a dense conversation in Tagalog (language of the Philippines). Skye snapped a picture of Toby and looked out the window, it was beginning to drizzle. It was going to be a long time until they reached LAX.   
  
*  
  
"Los Angeles International Airport" the monotonous voice of the driver hummed on the speakers, waking up both Toby and Nyx. Skye woke up as well, but she was already standing, stretching. She put Toby in her jacket pocket, dusted off her hat, gently placed it on her head and began to unload her case. She looked one more time at Riley, Lelani, and Audrey. They were still deeply involved in foreign conversation, even while they were getting their cases from the overhead. Nyx walked out, trying to ignore the smell of dirty streets, which somehow weaseled into your nose whenever it rained in the city, it always smelled better in Malibu, not as much pollution up there. It was now a steady rain which gave her hat a good bath. Riley got off next, then Skye, followed Audrey and Lelani. They walked to the Domestic flight area, then to the Manhattan, New York boarding vicinity. They walked to the clerk's desk.   
  
"Reserved tickets under Aislinn" Nyx said confidently. The clerk took her seriously and issued the tickets.   
  
Lelani laughed. Everyone within hearing distance turned and looked at her. One eye was half-shut, and she was turning red with laughter-trying to shut herself up.   
  
"Ell shut up" Riley whispered, nudging her. Lelani returned to her normal color, and took her ticket.   
  
*  
  
"Converse-" Skye said aloud as she jotted it down on her notepad.   
  
"Oh can you put my arm warmers and socks while you're at it?" Nyx joked.   
  
"You butt"  
  
The metal-detector line moved. Nyx put down her bag with a loud-thump, and emptied out her pockets, except for the one that Toby was in.   
  
"Ma'am your other pocket" The large African American woman said.   
  
"Uh-sorry I-umm-forgot" Nyx hesitated, she slowly moved around in her pocket, moving the tiny bulge around. She nervously pulled her hand out of her pocket, revealing-thin air.   
  
"Thank you" the uniform-clad lady said, letting her breath again.  
  
Nyx proceeded through the metal-slot. It didn't beep. Nyx let out a sigh of relief. She picked up her case and coins, and headed to the boarding platform. The man stamped her passport and let her through, as she walked down the dark strip she wondered what Hogwarts would be like, how they'd get all the way to Scotland-to a wizarding school no less-undetected, what class she got on the plane, and what would be for lunch.   
  
*  
  
It turns out that Nyx and her friends got first class, and they enjoyed watching the movie-which was "Star Wars". They were now getting off of the plane and onto a subway car to Manhattan. It was as if a firework had been lit inside Riley she couldn't stop smiling, and kept tip-toeing to see if they were at the penthouse yet, her large back bag key-chains jingling with excitement. Toby was awake now, playing punch-bag with Nyx's earrings. Nyx laughed as the car pulled to a stop, and they raced back up to the street. There in front of them was a high-rise, Victorian apartment complex. Its windows were carved in white stone, beautiful reproduced designs, bordering the clean glass windows, and white fire escapes. It was a rare and expensive jewel in polished Manhattan. Nyx and everybody ran across the street and down the block to their beloved New York home. Nyx was first to reach the door. She unlocked it and let in Toby so he wouldn't be smushed, unfortunately he only had a few seconds before everyone piled up on Nyx, and they all fell on top of each other in the middle of the white carpet. Just to be comical Toby jumped on top of the pile and meowed. They broke out in laughter. Unfortunately for this group they weren't well coordinated; everyone tried get off at the same time. There were several moans of pain before Skye shouted "STOP!!!" She directed the ones on top to get off first, which were Riley and Audrey, Lelani rolled off to the side somehow, managed not to be mashed. Skye rolled off as well, and Nyx rose up off of the floor, her skin sticking to the tiles like when you lay down on a leather couch for too long.   
  
"Home sweet Home" Riley said running to her room, saying hello to random things "Hello pan! Hello Shag rug! Hello Flat screen! Hello curtains!" This was probably the only place she called home, because it was where she grew up causing her to love New York, everything about it, good or bad. She loved the dirty water hog dogs, the major shopping districts, and the tranquility of the sea on Staten Island.   
  
Nyx wasn't in a hurry; the train to Scotland didn't leave until tomorrow. She walked on the white carpet, which was unusually soft. The room wasn't that normal. The couch was professionally sunk into the floor, which made it look like a wiggly pool, with Pink couches bordering it. A flat screen was on the deep-set wall, so when you watched TV it looked like you were staring into space. Underneath the couches were white shag, which increased the 70s-motif feeling. Off to the left side were some windows that had bright blue curtains that rippled like water in the fresh autumn breeze. The blue and pink was highlighted by the white walls, plus if you didn't look closely, you'd miss the one of a kind-pink, blue, and white disco ball. Off to the other side of the room was a laptop on a white table and antique chairs, next to another blue-clad window.   
  
She stepped down into the couch area, and was just about to relax, when she remembered that she'd probably forget to pack tomorrow so she had to pack now-again. She ran past Riley's scenic room, which had a mural of a sun setting under a navy blue sea, while the dolphins and other sea creatures swam at the bottom half of the picture. It was a place of inspiration and imagination.  
  
Nyx opened up the door to her room. It wasn't as creative as Riley's but it was nice. Nyx's room had orange walls and a hardwood floor, the bed was covered in a shiny pink quilt, which switched over to an orange. A hanging bubble chair swung in a corner, parallel to a shiny antique microphone and stand, in the last corner was a pink door, which was Nyx's bathroom, in the bathroom was another door, which was her small closet.   
  
She plopped down on the bed and stared at the azure ceiling coated in stars. Nyx liked to think about serious matters when lying on her bed. This time it was: "What is the purpose of Human Existence?" she began to contemplate. "Ok so our function for existence is either just to be a species and build, then be wiped from the planet like every other variety. Do we have a greater purpose?" She soon got aggravated with the reflection and swore to herself that she would come back to it later. 


	8. Driver's Test

"Socks" Nyx said. "Check" looking down into her case, doing an inventory check.  
  
"Do you want breakfast?" Skye said, peeking into her room.  
  
"In a minute-what is it anyway?"  
  
"Toast, eggs and sausage" Skye teased. Nyx was about to remark and half gag on how much cholesterol was in that. "Just Kidding-Cereal"  
  
Nyx laughed. "OK-cool-I'll be there in a few" She finished wrapping the last parcel in the comic newspaper, and folding the last of her robes. She put her hands on her hips and sighed confidently.  
  
*  
  
"Mail Call" Audrey yelled. "Nyx and Riles" Handing Nyx a very important- looking letter and a package to Riley.  
  
"Oh crud" Nyx groaned.  
  
"What is it now?" said Riley, not even averting her gaze at the letter inside the box from her mother, who was in India.  
  
"I failed" she replied.  
  
"AGAIN!-we helped you study for this one!" Skye shrieked.  
  
"What is this? The 6th time you failed your driver's test?" Lelani asked.  
  
"9th" she grumbled back.  
  
Nyx wasn't very normal, her mother gave her monthly driving test-written and physically. The first time she was 10 she smashed into a letterbox in Glendale, CA, the second time, she caused a back-up on the 405, the third, she freaked out when she thought she was going to run into a bee, and crashed into a stoplight, so on and so forth. She had the car replaced several times, her mom, always giving the banged-up ones to the poor.  
  
"So what did you do this time?" One of them said with a mouthful of food.  
  
"I hit the curb on 4th street while parallel parking" She had to admit, she was doing better. 


	9. Platform 7 73

Chapter 9  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________  
  
"Boarding Platform 2" Riley read off of the sign that pointed left. "What number are we looking for again?"  
  
"7 â…ž" Skye responded. "Oh here-platforms 6 & 7" they turned right, into a dimly lit gold-marble hallway, their footsteps echoing behind them. The walked down what was going to be a long series of stairs. As they went further down the steps, they noticed long windows, showing the newest models of passenger trains, departing and leaving from the bright boarding platforms below. From the bright lights, Nyx could see hundreds of people in colored robes, bending down, and looking at the steps.  
  
"Am I missing something?" Nyx murmured, scratching her head.  
  
"Umm" Skye buzzed. "YOUR HAT!"  
  
"Crap-My hat!" she shrieked, both hands atop her head, she was just about to turn around, when Riley grabbed her arm.  
  
"We're going to miss the train" Riley said, Nyx was about to turn forwards, slightly irritated.  
  
As she turned forwards she slipped on her partly wet Vans and slid down the stairs, with a long "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"  
  
She slid down backwards, her front going down the cold stairs, fortunately Toby was flung out of her pocket when she slipped in mid-air, being a cat he land a couple feet away, on his tiny paws.  
  
Nyx helplessly tried to grab a step to keep this terrible pain on her ribs from persisting. She grabbed hold of one. A sudden razor burn sensation on her stomach caused her open her eyes. She wasn't in the marble hall anymore; she was spread a brick pathway, at the bottom of a matching spiral stairwell, [Nyx rubbed her eyes at this-it was against the laws of Physics to have a spiral, brick, staircase, unsupported. She knew-her father was an architectural engineer] coming down those stairs were her whole troupe. Nyx ran to the bottom of the stairs, and attempted to put a foot down on the first step-but she couldn't, there was some sort of invisible safeguard that prevented her from putting her foot on that brick step. She hit the unseen wall, and hit-a pudding like substance, her hand was slowed down, like in outer space. She took a good look at that step, and saw something not everyone would. A tiny, no microscopic-a word here that means "So small Riley would've tripped on it and think it was a crack in the floor". Putting the puzzle pieces together, she understood that the step that slowed her down was in fact that tiny morsel of brick or marble, whatever it was made of. She stepped down on the fragment and immediately she reappeared in the dimly lit hall of marble.  
  
"Where'd you go?" Skye asked eagerly.  
  
"I really don't know" Nyx replied, shaking your head.  
  
"Liar-whenever you lie your left hand shakes"  
  
Nyx groaned and told them about the freaky staircase. They all agreed that they could take just a quick look. One by one they disappeared into nothing. Nyx was going to be last.  
  
"Move, worm" said a voice from behind her. Nyx turned around. A tall Blonde in an odd looking uniform whisked past her, almost whacking her with the hair, and on the unnoticed step, disappearing, before Nyx could come up with something even nastier to say. Toby scratched at her jeans below, she picked him up and put him in her pocket, stepping on the barrier. She reappeared opposite the way she had been last time, and realized that she had missed a long black train with huge puffs of grey smoke bellowing out of it. In golden letters it had written,  
  
Hogwarts Express Eastbound  
  
"Whoa, I guess that wasn't the best Hogwarts could do" Nyx said to herself.  
  
"Hey! Nyx-Are you coming or what?" Lelani yelled from the train.  
  
"Coming!" she shouted back.  
  
They boarded the train, being quickly separated from each other from the thick flow of students.  
  
"The first empty compartment!" Riley hollered, barely audible.  
  
"Well you know if we don't-ouch-get trampled on first" Nyx screamed back, nearly deafening the boy next to her.  
  
"WE?! You mean you!" Skye replied loudly.  
  
Nyx grunted.  
  
After the flow calmed down in their booths, they managed to find an empty one in the middle of the train.  
  
Nyx took out her MP3 and looked out the window. Riley and Skye had already taken out the Laptop, and Lelani and Audrey chit-chatted in Tagalog. As the train began to move, the Blonde girl that Nyx bumped into, whipped open the door and said "Change and get a head start on your work"  
  
"What work? We haven't been assigned any!" Nyx said, hysterically. She always panicked if she missed some piece of work.  
  
"Oh," she said sweetly. "first year worms" She finished, hands on her hips. "You must not know how it works around here"  
  
"What works?" Lelani asked.  
  
"Your brain" she teased, rather quickly. "No My name is Angelica and I am your Chief Dormitories Captain-I will check the rooms everyday, for cleanliness; ensure your work for satisfactory; and condemn you to the Querma if you misbehave, any questions?"  
  
They looked at each other. It felt like boot-camp already.  
  
"Yeah-" Nyx was about to start.  
  
"Yes, never yeah"  
  
"Yes- umm"  
  
"Umm what?"  
  
"What is the Querma?"  
  
"A room"  
  
It didn't look like she was going to go further into the subject, so she left. Unplugging themselves from what they were doing, they changed into their black robes obediently. There was a knock on the door.  
  
"Hello?" An Old Man's voice sounded.  
  
"Oh hello" Audrey replied, opening the door.  
  
"I've come here to collect your things"  
  
They passed their luggage from one to another and finally got it all to the front.  
  
"Animals are to be left in the compartment when we arrive" and with that he left.  
  
At 3 o'clock a Tiny witch, pushing a candy-filled trolley knocked on the door.  
  
"Anything off the trolley, love?" she said in a sugary British accent.  
  
They all stared at the odd looking confections, everything from Cockroach Clusters to Whittling Walnuts (The Wackiest Whittle for your teeth!)  
  
"Do you have Iced Tea?" Nyx asked.  
  
"Why yes, sweetheart-Sweet or Tropical?"  
  
Having no idea what "Tropical Tea" was, she bought a Sweet in a water- bottle that was labeled "Lemony Sweet Tea [home grown pleasure]".  
  
"Interesting" She mumbled, sitting back into her seat.  
  
Not knowing what to buy, they girls only bought things with the words "Chocolate, Gummy, Sugar, ect."  
  
"Chocolate Frog" Skye read off of the packet she had bought. "Hmm" she ripped open the packet.  
  
"Ribbit, Ribbit" squeaked from inside the package. Everyone leaned. Suddenly a brown frog jumped out of the plastic, 2 feet in the air. They all screamed at the top of their lungs.  
  
"Kill it Kill it Kill it Kill it!" Riley screamed, jumping on the compartment seat.  
  
Lelani was in a corner waving her hands in the air and adding a low scream to the loud room.  
  
Audrey and Nyx briefly screamed before chasing it around the room with solid objects. Nyx had her tea-bottle and was gaining on it. Newspaper- clad Audrey was also gaining.  
  
Sitting on the seat, Skye had her legs up and was covering her ears, also screaming.  
  
The frog came up in front of Nyx and to the side of Audrey. Nyx was about to whack the crap out of it, but Audrey was faster. This was her moment of glory. Audrey swung and instead of the frog hit Nyx full in the face with the rolled up newspaper.  
  
"Ow, Ow, Ow" Nyx said rubbing her pink face, with her robe. But she quickly recovered, and the frog jumped out of the window.  
  
"Oh God, Nyx, are you ok?" said Audrey, apologetically.  
  
"Oh yeah- I mean Yes-Ugh Yeah I am fine, I'm good" she replied, trying to turn away and "mend" her wounds.  
  
"No you aren't" Skye believed, pulling her and bending down to get a better look at her red stricken face.  
  
"I'll be fine" she insisted, rubbing her face.  
  
"Don't rub-it might turn into a bruise" Riley added.  
  
"That makes me feel so much better" She moaned sarcastically.  
  
Audrey almost left out a snort of laugh, but she managed to keep it in.  
  
"Is there a problem?" a familiar voice uttered from the door.  
  
Nyx turned her head, it was Orion.  
  
"Oh hey" She greeted, forgetting about her red face.  
  
"You dropped this" he said, handing her hat over.  
  
"My HAT!" she yelled, immediately hugging it "Where did you-"  
  
"Oh it was outside the station"  
  
*  
  
Nyx sighed and touched her face. Riley lightly slapped her fingers and, returned to the book she was reading-"Which Owl". She looked out of the window, they were now on the coast. She turned to her left and looked at everybody. Lelani was napping on Audrey who was finishing up the rest of her Honey Creams, and writing in her Journal. Skye was also reading, but it was "The History of Quidditch". Nyx sighed again and looked out the window. They were in the middle of the ocean. She suddenly realized what she had just thought.  
  
"We're sinking!" she yelled, almost waking up Lelani.  
  
"No we're-sinking!" Skye said getting up.  
  
Riley stood up and looked closely at the wheels, it was running on tracks.  
  
"I guess this is how we get there" Riley suggested. Nyx had always admired this logical skill in her.  
  
"By sinking!" she breathed. Riley took her head and pushed it against the window. "Oh"  
  
*  
  
It was nearly dusk when they reached land again, making everyone a bit antsy and excited at the same time. Nyx and everyone groaned at the sight of more forest. When it was close to night, Nyx's watch stopped working, and Riley's cell phone turned off.  
  
"what the-" Nyx muttered as she hit her watch over and over again.  
  
"Electrical-" Riley was about to start.  
  
"Let me guess-Electrical equipment doesn't work in Hogwarts"  
  
Riley nodded.  
  
Nyx breathed out through her front teeth, she was completely lost without her watch, now she was going more than half of a year without it.  
  
It was a dark, and foggy night as the black train pulled into a station in Hogsmeade. Lelani, Riley, Skye, Audrey, and Nyx were about to exit out of the compartment when Angelica whipped open the door again, almost sliding the door right off the track.  
  
"Here" she said handing them a letter, then whipping shut the doors.  
  
"You think we should switch compartments halfway through the trip form now on?"  
  
They laughed.  
  
Skye opened the letter.  
  
Our Dear first years, You are not to board the boats, you are to walk along the station platform until you reach an unleveled piece of cement, then jump down into the rails and there you will find a door. Enter the door.  
  
Warm Regards, Professor Sinistra 


	10. The Invisible Pathway

Chap 10  
  
Note: [ ] indicates thoughts ____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________  
  
"This just gets better and better" Nyx mumbled, looking up from the letter.  
  
They got off the train. It was extremely cold outside, so everyone stayed close, and tried to keep from freezing. As soon as they got off the train left and another, scarlet train pulled into the station, unloading even more students. Nyx got separated from Audrey and Riley; they weren't very "close together", now were they?  
  
"Ri! Audrey! Skye! Lei!" she yelled. She felt she was going in the wrong direction, well actually she was, all these students going the opposite way, but you know what I mean.  
  
"You're going the wrong way" someone said.  
  
Nyx ignored whoever it was and continued through the immense fog. The crowd thinned and she was able to walk freely.  
  
"Oh" she said softly, since she didn't have time to yell, as she fell to the ground, because she tripped on an unleveled cement piece. She plucked herself off the ground for the second time. Trying to still make sense of where she was going, she jumped into the tracks.  
  
"Meow"  
  
"Toby?" She murmured, opening her pocket to see a pair of green eyes meet her.  
  
"Oh Crap"  
  
A light appeared in front of her.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
The light got closer. It was making Nyx anxious.  
  
Appearing a few feet from her she realized it was the train.  
  
"OH SHIT!" she yelled, running from the train. She was too short to jump back up onto the cement.  
  
"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap" she breathed as she ran.  
  
"Meow" a terror-filled kitten cried.  
  
She turned around; it didn't take a genius to figure out that Nyx had dropped Toby. Running towards the train she slid and grabbed Toby [Ok for all those readers who tell themselves in their mind "she'll make it cause she's the main character"-you suck], getting a few splinters, barely making it under the train. She banged her head on a chain and she had a bump which was bleeding a little. The train passed.  
  
"Ouch!" she said tying her raven hair, tears in her eyes, from the pain.  
  
Toby was in her pocket again, put this time he fully intended to claw the inside of her robes if she took off at a run.  
  
"Nyx?" Riley said from the top of the platform.  
  
"Ri! Where have you guys been?"  
  
"Looking for you" as she jumped down. "What's wrong with your-" she touched her head "Oh-God you're bleeding!" she was scared out of her wits. "Come on- we can still catch the boats-we could get you to the hospital"  
  
"No, I can't board the boats remember"  
  
"Ugh" Riley saw the grated, metal door, and ran to open it.  
  
"There you are!" Skye shouted for everyone.  
  
"I found the door" as she opened it. Everyone else lowered themselves into the tracks and went into the even colder air in the dark void.  
  
Lelani droned the "Twilight Zone" theme song.  
  
"Dorkess" Skye teased.  
  
It was a musky scent as they traveled further into the darkness. They came up to the fresh air again, but they weren't on land. They were in a middle of a fleet of small boats.  
  
"Wow" Audrey cooed, looking at the lake underneath her. Nyx looked too, and screamed for the I-don't-keep-count-for-this-is-too-many times. It was a monster. Giant eyes the size of Hometown Buffet Dinner Plates. Well, actually that's the only thing they saw, but it would've freaked you out too-ok?  
  
Riley elbowed her; there were people in those boats. For some odd reason, the nudge didn't mean anything, because none of the students in the ferries heard her. They walked along the invisible paths, next to the boats, until they came to a veil of vines. The path changed, and they know it changed, because they couldn't walk anywhere else, it wouldn't let them. They were in a docking area. The path ended off to the sides so they could "ease" their way into the crowds as they unloaded form the boats. They managed to weasel into the crowds, but as soon as they were in, Angelica hauled them out, and they were heading into a big rock with black slug-things with shells sucking it. It freaked the girls out a bit, like the blob in the old movie. Skye shuddered as she glanced at a spider the size of her hand.  
  
"Where are we going?" Nyx asked.  
  
Angelica shushed her and whispered "Remember You will Die"  
  
Everyone but the "weirdo" gawked at each other, amid a few raised eyebrows.  
  
Riley peered over Angelica's shoulder hinting "Do you remember what happened to the little girl who tried too much-right?"  
  
"No, what?"  
  
"She Died"  
  
Nyx bit her knuckle to keep back the laughter; unfortunately Lelani didn't, letting out a laugh that howled through the cave.  
  
"An hour in the Querma, for both of you"  
  
"Me?" Lelani asked  
  
"No, the worm"  
  
Nyx was fuming, she flooded back with "Well if I am a worm." she was at a lost of words "uh-that makes you a corndog!" [I'll get her back, somehow] she wasn't too happy with her comeback, but then again, it was at the spur of the moment.  
  
Riley wanted to come back with, "Ooooh a room-maybe next week we can get it on with a chair, that'd be really special!" but she knew how far it'd take to break this bass, and Riley wanted to fry this fish slowly.  
  
But what they hadn't noticed was that the rock had opened up. 


	11. Behind Barnacle Rock

"In" Angelica said, pointing to the floor.  
  
Riley was thinking up ways to get back at her, including painting her hair, and putting flea powder in her bed sheets, as soon as she knew how to conjure then up, that is. Nyx was fuming at the "detention" she needed to serve already, even though school classes didn't even start. Lelani was avoiding the sluggish things slinking next to her. Paige and Audrey managed to obey, since they didn't plan to have any "detentions" in their schedule. When they were all in the rock quickly remolded, back to its original state. They were standing in the middle of a stone archway, the other first years a few steps in front of them. Angelica parted into another hallway, leaving them to follow the rest of the group.  
  
"I guess onward-ho" Skye whispered.  
  
"Hate-her" Riley and Nyx chanted.  
  
They jogged to keep up with the rest of the group.  
  
"Welcome to." a witch wearing green robes said , quickly fading through the murmur of the students.  
  
"Ugh" Nyx moaned, trying to push through a boy with black, curly hair and a blonde. "I can't hear a word she's saying"  
  
"Well, we could always read up on it later-nothing we probably don't know already" Lelani whispered.  
  
"Lei, all we know is that we board a friggin' black train, through a freaky mini staircase step, that is blocked by this weird jello gunk"  
  
"Calm down, before you bring out your multiple persona-s"  
  
Nyx groaned and crossed her arms angrily. She always got a bit antsy when she missed out on something important. Very few things made her antsy, one was missing out on something, another was being prolonged from the ocean, an extra one was missing class, and an additional one was not having enough money when she needed to buy something.  
  
"What house do you want to be in?" The curly haired boy asked the blonde with the last-season shoes.  
  
"I think Ravenclaw-I hear you have to be really wise, what about you?" she said in an accent.  
  
"Hope I'm in Gryffindor"  
  
"House?" Audrey whispered.  
  
"I dunno" Nyx said mocking the blonde.  
  
"You Duffer" Skye said back in accent.  
  
Nyx tried to hold back laughs, but let one out.  
  
The blonde looked back, and flipped her hair.  
  
Nyx imitated, flipping her raven hair.  
  
The crowd began to move. When the reached the top landing, they were pulled to the side, by the green-robed witch.  
  
"Uh-Professor Ma-Magon" Nyx said, unsettled.  
  
"Magonagall" Skye finished.  
  
"Magonagall" Nyx repeated.  
  
"I see your skills are a bit fuzzy, follow me" Magonagall said dully.  
  
"My skills are a bit fuzzy?" She mouthed.  
  
They followed her into a corridor, tinted blue the moonlight outside, exposed from the glassless arch. A few candles danced in the frozen breeze, then going out as they paced further down the hall.  
  
"Creepy" Audrey said underneath her breath.  
  
"Yes, I know Ms. Lea"  
  
"Now that is just freaky" Skye whispered.  
  
"Freaky?" Magonagall questioned sternly.  
  
"Unusual" Skye provided a synonym.  
  
They turned on a dime at the end of the passage, into a rather warm hall. It was brightly lit by torches, but no windows, which made Nyx a bit uncomfortable. Professor stopped at a statue of witch whose hair was smooth and straight, but this statue was short, as if it was of a small girl, instead of a full grown witch.  
  
"Unmentionable" Magonagall said.  
  
At this moment everyone thought Professor was a bit Whoop-d Do, for her own good. Nyx was staring at the eyes of the statue; they looked a tad unsettling, staring straight ahead. Just then the eyes changed positions and looked directly at Nyx. Her body went cold and she yelled.  
  
"Ms. Aislinn!" Magonagall bellowed.  
  
"The sculpture-it-it-was looking at me"  
  
Magonagall pursed her lips and turned to the head and bawled "Danielle!"  
  
All of a sudden, the color in the figurine drained, somehow becoming alive with paint. "Danielle" (if she was a real person) was wearing a school robe, but in a silvery-white. She was laughing, her sleek brown hair bouncing up and down.  
  
"How-many-times-" Magonagall started.  
  
"Whoa ho-ho, teach, calm your sockets" Danielle said jumping down from her platform, but oddly making no sound.  
  
Danielle thrusted her arm into Nyx's chest, causing her to scream. Right there, in the middle of her gut was an arm. Danielle pulled out her limb.  
  
"She lives!!!!!!!" she yelled pretending she had her heart in her hands.  
  
"You're a ghost!" Audrey yelled.  
  
"Oh-ho! How long it'd take to you to figure that out?" Danielle ribbed. "Yes, yes, yes, Paranormalprideormalooziosticblahhubblahblahblah"  
  
"Danielle represents school spirit and is your house ghost" Magonagall said. "Open the door now"  
  
"Um Professor- what house are we in?" 


	12. The sacred house of Sandor

CHAP 12  
  
"It's not a matter of a house" Magonagall said unsympathetically.  
  
"Well what is it then?" Nyx asked.  
  
Magonagall could not recall a mandatory answer, and didn't reply. It felt like she was keeping something from them, like she wasn't allowed to tell them anything outside of how this school functioned.  
  
Danielle switched back and forth at their expressions. She clapped her hands and the portion of platform facing them cracked open, a cement door with out a handle, casting a bright light from the inside. Professor stood aside, signaling them that they were supposed to crawl on their knees and enter, so they did.  
  
Inside was a richly decorated room, filled with tapestries, rugs, armchairs, and a circular fireplace crackling happily in the center of the room. There were plenty of "oohs" and "ahhs".  
  
"Hello" a voice coming from a girl sitting in an armchair next to the fire.  
  
"Oh this is Priscilla Cook she is one your house prefects"  
  
Nyx shot a curious look at Magonagall, causing her to regret her words. With a -POP- Magonagall was gone.  
  
"Your dormitories are up those stairs and take a left"  
  
Skye, Riley, Lei, and Audrey walked up the stairs.  
  
"Yes?" Priscilla asked.  
  
"What house is this?" Nyx asked determinedly.  
  
"It isn't really a house. but we call it Sandor, named after Sandor Hawkes, oh can you please tell the others to select a house"  
  
"Aren't we in this house?"  
  
"Uh-a different house I mean"  
  
"Are we going to be moved?"  
  
"No, just ask them ok?"  
  
[At least I got an answer]  
  
With that Nyx walk on the hearth rug to the whitewashed steps, as she got further up, she noticed the blue tint and the flickering candles. She rolled her eyes. [Ok. I wonder if any of the other houses have this weirdness] after about 38 steps or so she reached a door on her left, a corridor of more blue and flickering candles, leading to two more doors, one far to her left and one close on her right. Being an illogical person she took the door on her right, practically ripping it open.  
  
"UGH" a person from behind the door cried.  
  
"So sorry" Nyx apologized as she peeked in.  
  
~To her surprise. OK before I go on. I must explain about Sandor. Sandor is a sacred house that few are selected to be in, take a wild guess why.~  
  
"DEAN!!!" she yelled, pointing at the floor.  
  
"Dean? Nyx are you that homesick?" Skye asked looking around from the door at the far end. "DEAN!" That caused a stir in the girl's dormitory; there were plenty of "Dean?" "You mean Dean, Dean?" "He's here?"  
  
Nyx laughed at almost knocking him out cold, as he got up. Torrance popped up from behind, and did a kicking motion. Nyx smiled.  
  
*  
  
"You need select a house" Nyx said putting Toby on the bed.  
  
"Any house?" Riley asked.  
  
"Yea I guess"  
  
"Gryffindor" She said back quickly.  
  
"Gryffindor" Skye agreed.  
  
"Gryffindor" Lelani said as a three.  
  
"I say Ravenclaw" Nyx said.  
  
"Oh come on Nyx." Skye pushed.  
  
-Knock-  
  
"It's open" Audrey shouted.  
  
Priscilla opened the door.  
  
"Oh one thing once you've said a house you can't change it" Priscilla announced.  
  
Riley's mouth was partly open. Nyx was pointing.  
  
"Were you eavesdropping?" Skye demanded.  
  
"No I am Physic" Priscilla stated. "No I am not"  
  
[Lair] Skye thought.  
  
"Uh ok." Nyx said.  
  
Skye was awe-struck. 


End file.
